EY leaders say junior consultants' lack of experience is an advantage in the AI era

"They arrive without a decade or more of assumptions about how work should be done - more of a blank sheet of paper. That allows them to challenge the status quo and rethink processes from first principles. His advice for junior consultants at EY is to use that to their advantage: be bold, ask questions about the way things are done, and lean into the use of technology."

"If anything, as a young graduate, they've got more opportunity to change our organization. Junior consultants have the native digital skills and the creativity necessary for the AI era."

"Across the industry, consulting firms are racing to embed generative AI into their own workflows while advising clients on how to implement the technology. That shift is prompting a reassessment of hiring, with a new focus on engineering talent."

AI is automating traditional junior consultant work like slide deck creation and data analysis, raising concerns about entry-level employment. However, EY's senior leaders argue that inexperience is actually advantageous. New graduates arrive without preconceived notions about how work should be done, positioning them to question the status quo and rethink processes fundamentally. Their native digital skills and creativity are essential for the AI era. Rather than competing with AI, junior consultants should leverage their fresh perspectives to drive organizational change. Consulting firms are reassessing hiring practices and the traditional pyramid model that relied on junior staff for assembly work, now focusing more on engineering talent.

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